In Tandem has the honor and fun of presenting a Shaw short that was excised from "Back To Methuselah." They do a wonderful rollicking version of "A Glimpse of the Domestic Life of Franklyn Barnabas" using the same set that is used for Franklyn's house in the great Shaw saga. This helps flesh out our understandings of the Brothers Barnabas and their domestic circle. Incidentally, it contains the most loving homage and parody of Shaw's great friend and nemesis, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, as Immenso Champernoon.
Lane O'Bryan plays Immenso with the enormous gusto that the part requires while respecting Shaw's dialogue. He enjoys himself and the play's essential role. Anthony Wood plays Franklyn Barnabas as a rather hen-pecker husband almost at the end of his tether. Richard Carsey as Conrad Barnabas has the freedom of an unmarried University Don. He is bemused by his brother's plight and Immenso's rhetorical flourishes. He is, however, absorbed with his theory of Creative Evolution and relatively free from the coils of domesticity.
As Clara Barnabas, Tami Rentmeester is not just a stereotype. She knows what is her due and will keep her place in Franklyn's domestic life. Betsy Skowko as Savvy Barnabas is a bright young thing who shows promise for the future. John Wayland Somers plays Haslam with a sly hint of the versatility that we may see in his later careers. Tiffany Boeke plays Mrs. Eteen, a married woman who claims to have inspired the theory of Creative Evolution as well she might have in Shaw's universe. She teases Immenso unmercifully flirting with him in a charming fashion. Her quest for the Creative Evolution is more concrete than The Brothers Barnabas and she clearly sees it in Champernoon.
The production under the direction of Chris Flieller is brisk and full of delicious touches that add a great sense of fun to the proceedings. He is most competently aided and abetted by his wife, Jane supported by Susan Tellier who serves as crew for In Tandem Productions. This is the shortest of the entries in this year's Shaw Festival by no means the least amusing. Contact the Broadway Theatre Center box office at (414) 291-7800 to book tickets and watch for other In Tandem Productions in the fall and winter.
